All utility snowmobile enthusiasts north of the St. Lawrence River have been waiting for several years for Polaris to return to this market segment. Fans of the brand and especially Polaris dealers will remember the incredible sales success of the Widetrak LX in the 90s. But since then, Polaris had quietly let this market slide towards the competition, attempting a comeback with the Widetrak IQ more than 10 years ago, but without much success. With the growth of sales in this market segment, it was imperative for Polaris engineers to offer a new 20-inch wide tracked vehicle that would live up to the expectations of enthusiasts. As this segment has greatly evolved towards more versatile vehicles that combine utility and touring on and off the trails, Polaris offers the new Titan series in 3 variations. To appreciate our test, the American manufacturer offered us the 2018 Polaris Titan Adventure.
As with the other models of the same name, the Adventure is the grand touring edition of the Titan series. It comes to us very well equipped straight from the factory and offers several advantages sought after by buyers of touring-type snowmobiles. To begin with, wind protection is provided by a very large front windshield and good-sized handguards for the rear passenger. The shape of the side panels effectively deflects air, protecting passengers during cold weather. The two standard large flat mirrors are very effective and blend well with the lines of the vehicle. A standard 12-volt power outlet and a heated visor outlet are available in the front, while another for the visor is integrated into the rear seat. The Adventure edition comes standard with the Polaris Interactive Digital Display color screen that offers a series of features such as GPS and trip planning, very practical for this type of vehicle. The second passenger seat is modular and can be easily removed and reinstalled thanks to a very easy to use attachment system. An option is offered to have heated versions of both seats. Heated grips with dual intensity control are also integrated into the modular seat. As for storage space, this Titan is well equipped with a very large trunk, integrated via the Lock & Ride system to the rear rack.
On the trails, the Titan really doesn’t behave like its ancestor from the 90’s which was a true utility vehicle offering limited performance with the technologies of the time. With the Adventure, snowmobilers benefit from a very stable vehicle on the trail that compares to the best touring machines currently available on the market. Despite its imposing dimensions in length and width, the rider benefits from a precise ride and good handling on trails, inherent to the Axys chassis. The riding position is very comfortable for long rides and the rider hardly feels the presence of the second passenger. In addition to being at a good distance from the rider, the latter does not destabilize the vehicle in curves thanks to the support offered by the 20-inch wide track at the rear. This increases the overall comfort of the passenger and the rider who do not have to compensate as much for the weight transfer in the curves. The rear seat offers good comfort due to its shape and is higher than the rider’s seat to increase the passenger’s vision. The only downside is that the rolling of the track at medium and high speeds makes a dull sound under the pilot, which can be annoying for some.
Of course, you can’t talk about comfort without talking about the suspension. This is a key element of this vehicle, as the challenge is great in this category. Indeed, the suspension must have the versatility to be comfortable with one or two passengers, with a variation of +- 14 gallons of fuel, an additional load on the rear rack and finally, the option of pulling a very heavy sled in the back. The American manufacturer’s engineers managed to do this without having to use the spring preload settings. This means that you don’t have to adjust anything even if you are pulling a heavy load. Add to that the articulated track to improve the efficiency of the reverse gear, the vehicle remains very comfortable solo in the bumps, which is not the case with other models from the same manufacturer. After several kilometers with the Adventure, I was very impressed with the performance and comfort of the Titan suspension.
As if that wasn’t enough, this suspension must provide good performance in deep snow as well as in working situations. Naturally, the articulated system at the rear of the track is designed to allow the vehicle to climb on snow in reverse. Although it improves this aspect, it is the balance of the Axys chassis that plays a key role in this maneuver. The main element to allow a “Widetrak” type snowmobile to go backwards is to have an optimal mass centralization. Indeed, some large vehicles in this category are too heavy in the front, which negates the capabilities of the articulated track by having a huge drag in the front. Because the weight of the Axys-Titan chassis is better distributed than some competitors, the vehicle performs very well in reverse in the snow. In forward motion, the vehicle is maneuverable in deep snow because the left-right weight transfer is very efficient, which is not always the case for this type of vehicle. This allows the driver to repeatedly correct the trajectory when driving between trees and in deep snow. By creating the Axys-Titan chassis, Polaris engineers were able to retain much of the handling of the RMKs and thus create an ideal platform for this market segment.
The new Alpha transmission, specially designed for the Titan series, has a very large load capacity of up to 1,200 pounds according to the manufacturer. Add in the Cleanfire 800HO, and the Titan offers great low-end work capacity and high-speed trail performance. Gear selection is smooth with the easy-to-use clutch handle, but the gear positions are a little too close together. So you have to be careful when you want to change gears, so you don’t skip two or three positions. However, a visual indicator on the digital display shows the gear selection. Unlike other vehicles with the same engine, there is no need to worry about the engine overheating at low speeds. The new cooling system, also designed for the Titan, can keep the engine at the right temperature, even very late in the spring. Although there’s plenty of room in the back, Widetrak regulars would probably have liked to have a trunk under the driver’s seat. However, this is the price to pay for optimum weight distribution with a fuel tank that takes up space under the seat.
